Diet with Dr. Tabor

Mangoes for Fat Loss?

When we are dieting to lose weight, we are actually trying to lose body fat while maintaining or improving our lean muscle strength. Therefore, consuming the best foods to lose fat is an important part of a successful weight loss program. Unfortunately, there is not a lot of research into the best foods to lose fat. This means that it can be difficult to truly know which are the best foods to lose fat.

Results of one study suggest that mangoes might be one of the best foods to lose fat. In this study, researchers fed mice one of six diets: a control low-fat diet, a high-fat diet, a high-fat diet + 1% mango powder, a high-fat diet + 10% mango, and two other diets supplemented with prescription drugs. The mice were fed these diets for 2 months and were allowed to eat as much as they wanted every day. After 2 months, changes in body weight, body fat, markers of fat metabolism and more were measured. While no differences in body weight were seen between the diet types after two months, changes in body fat suggest that mangoes can be one of the best foods to lose fat.

As you might expect, body fat was greatest in the mice fed the high-fat diet; however, mice fed a high-fat diet supplemented with mango powder had a body fat content similar to mice fed the low-fat control diet. This suggests that the mango powder prevented the gain in body fat seen when eating the high-fat diet. This ability to prevent body fat gain while on a high-fat diet makes mangoes one of the best foods to lose fat. In addition to reducing body fat, supplementation of mango powder to the high-fat diet reduced the levels of an enzyme involved in body fat production and an appetite-regulating hormone.

While it is uncertain if adding mangoes to human diets will have the same benefits, this initial study in mice suggest that mangoes might be one of the best foods to lose fat. In addition to preventing body fat gain while eating a high-fat diet, mangoes are good sources of vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin B6, and dietary fiber. A single cup of sliced mango provides 11% of our daily vitamin B6, 12% of our fiber needs, 25% of our daily vitamin A, and 76% of our vitamin C requirements; all at the low cost of about 110 calories. The nutritional qualities of mangoes and their effect on body composition make mangoes one of the best foods to lose fat. Most of us do not get enough fruit in our diets. Adding mango to our diet plan is a great way to increase our fruit consumption while helping improve our body composition.